Eighteen Inches

by Dan A Thomas Jr | Sep 18, 2015 | James

James 3: 13-16

That’s the estimated distance between your head and your heart. 18 inches. Opportunities of a lifetime, moments worthy of historical lore, and providential relationships all the have the potential of being missed, never happening, or not ever taking place because of a disconnect between the head and the heart. It’s possible to understand something in your head, but be disengaged at the heart level. Over-informed and under-activated.

There is an inherent danger to gathering knowledge and not providing opportunities for what has been learned. Knowledge trapped inside the mind unexpressed in real world application breeds pride, selfishness, and arrogance. We would like to think that “the more we know, the more we grow”, but normally the more we know, the more we think we know, but we need more than knowledge. We need wisdom.

Wisdom is not an elderly man with a long white beard and horn-rimmed glasses or a booming James Earl Jones-type voice. Wisdom is what you do with what you know. How one applies what they have learned will determine whether it is wisdom. When knowledge travels the 18-inches from the head to the heart and manifests itself in meekness wisdom is birthed.

Meekness rhymes with weakness, but meekness is not weak. It’s strong, but gentle. Solid, but tender. It is literally strength under control. That’s real wisdom. Knows what to do, how to do, and when to do. That’s heavenly wisdom. The wisdom of this world produces chaos because it is preoccupied with self in the spotlight and will do whatever is necessary to remain on center stage. The wisdom of heaven shares what it knows in actions that benefit all.

Photography: @titus_anthony

Conform to the Image of Christ

by Maison Tiradoegas | Sep 17, 2015 | James

James 3: 7-12

Over the last few days, we’ve been discussing the first half of James 3: Taming the tongue. Today we’re going to wrap it up by discussing verses 7:7-12.

7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 

I never doubt the inerrancy of scripture, but its pretty hard to get my cat to do what I want it to do. The Greek word for Tame here is δαμάζω (damazó), which means restraint and obedience. So its pretty straight forward what James is trying to say here.

8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

I play indoor soccer. Even on my best day, an angry word slips out here-or-there. After the game, I’ll go and shake my opponents hand apologizing for acting a fool. Later, I’ll feel this inward shame of my sin. I pray to God and ask Him why am I so quick to anger. Why do I feel that it’s my right to carry out justice with my words? This verse represents our sin nature. It’s why we’re separated from God, but how BIG is our Gospel though. How big is our Savior—Christ Jesus!

9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 

How strange is the human condition? When people accuse Christians of being hypocrites it’s because we are! We’re constantly at war with our-selfs. We’re genuinely trying to live out Christ, but that doesn’t mean we always choose Christ every time. It’s why we must pray daily to God and plead with Him to make us more like His Son.

11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

I love this verse because James will not allow us to cop out. He’s not giving us the green light to curse and bless. He’s saying you’re either cursing or blessing. You can’t do both. The metaphors are “either/ or” not “both / and.” That’s the call of the Christian life. We cannot live a life of unrestraint, and then profess we’re living a life submitting to Christ. We’re called to a higher standard. You must change. I must change.

Changing our actions is the challenge of the Christian life because when we are saved, we’re still working through years of bad habits and poor decision making.

So here’s what we can do: Daily pray to God asking him to forgive your sins. Ask him to conform you to the image of His Son. If you pray that prayer everyday, God will answer your prayer. You’ll begin to notice that your heart will begin to change. Cursing someone with your words will become less frequent and You will begin to see the change from the inside out.

Photography: @fordyates

Speak Life

by Keenan Clark | Sep 16, 2015 | James

James 3:5-6

A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.

Have you ever been asked to do something that you weren’t entirely confident that you could do? I have on MANY occasions. Years ago, I was asked by some leaders in my high school to lead worship for the morning chapel service. I was in the tenth grade and knew exactly how my fellow classmates loved to bash students that would attempt to get up on that stage in order to lead worship and sing in front of the school. Everything inside of me wanted to say “no”, but I soon realized that I had just been “volun-told” and saying “no” was not going to be an option! The next morning, I got up there and gave it everything I had. I was pitchy, my voice cracked a few times, and hardly anyone looked as if they were getting anything out of it! It was terrible. When the service had ended, one of my teachers walked over to me and asked if she could talk to me. She began to go on and on about how much it touched her. She told me that I had an anointing to stand up in front of people and show them Jesus. She spoke encouraging word after encouraging word over me! I have never forgotten that!

There is so much power in the mere words that come out of your mouth. YOU have the ability to cripple people or launch them into their destiny with the words you speak! We see in Genesis chapter one, that the first time words are used is not for COMMUNICATION but rather CREATION. Words have the ability to change things.

I want to encourage you to be mindful of how you are speaking over your life and the lives around you! That teacher had no idea that her words would later have a part to play in me having the confidence to get up in front of thousands of people to speak about the love of Jesus! Her words changed my life and are helping me change the lives of others.

Your life will go in the direction of that which you truly believe, and what you truly believe is dictated by what you constantly confess. SPEAK LIFE.

Photography: @djaeoutlaw

Taming The Tongue

by Taylor Adams | Sep 15, 2015 | James

The Tongue

by Toni Thrash | Sep 14, 2015 | James

James 3:1-2

The weight of being a teacher is costly.  This is why James says not just anyone can be a teacher because our tongue carries such influence.  The tongue is the bridle or harness of the body.  Such a small organ that yields tons of power.  It guides us.

James tells us that our tongues and body should align. Our actions will follow what we say.

When we are speaking what God says, then we are breathing life into those we are around through praise, love, acceptance and truth.  But when we are not it brings death through gossip, anger, pride, slander or arrogance.

Our tongues are like spiritual meters… what is your tongue saying about your heart?

Just like a parking meter shows when our time is almost up, we can gauge our tongues by how tired we are, frustrated, or weary.  Those are signs to add more “coins”.

To tame the tongue is to dive into His word so what comes from your mouth is God breathed and your body is filled with joy.

One of the ways we can work on this is to give God control of our tongues.  We must take responsibility for the things that come from our mouths.

Our hearts, grounded in the word, need to come out with love, grace and a touch of firmness. What flows in our heart will surely flow from our mouths.

Photography: @bdebard

Rahab

by Lauren McPherson | Sep 13, 2015 | James